Newborn to 3 months what is needed

[Queenie6655]

Hello all

So far I have some sleepsuits
Vests, bottles
Leggings
Socks
Bibs

What am I missing
Will buy a next to me sleeper this week also
And Muslin clothes

These aren’t all necessarily ‘must-haves’ but they’re helpful I think
-Steriliser
-Perfect prep if bottle feeding
-Dummy (even if you don’t want to use one, I’d buy one just in case of emergency baby meltdowns!)
-nappies and wipes
-baby bath with baby lotion, sponge etc
-cardigans/jackets
-a blanket or two
-black and white picture books
-toys!!
-a play gym
-a bouncer chair or even better, an electric rocker
-calpol
-sudocrem
-nappy cream

They don't need a whole heap really. For the first 12 weeks, they pretty much eat, sleep and poop! Oh, and cry ;-)

Essentials:
Vests
Sleepsuits
a cardigan
a baby hat
Muslin cloths
Nappies (don't pre buy heaps as you may want to try different brands, sizes etc)
Wet wipes or reusable cloths (likewise, you might hate a certain brand, so buy a variety to try)
Somewhere to sleep - moses basket, crib, next to me, cot - whatever works for you. You can buy that second hand if you want, but always buy a new mattress
waterproof cover for the mattress and cotton sheets
Car seat and pushchair - totally depends on what you want, but we bought a fairly cheap travel system and they get used and abused, thrown in the back of the car. It's still working just fine for baby 2. (We spent the money we saved on a big 3 wheel running/off road buggy, as suited our lifestyle :) )
Blankets or sleeping bags. Personally I love sleeping bags - super easy

If breastfeeding - nipple cream and breast pads. You may want to buy a breast pump, bottles etc down the line, but I would wait until baby arrived to find out how you get on with feeding.
(I've breastfed, so can't help much with formula feeding must haves!)

Nice to have:
somewhere for them to sleep downstairs - we use a 3-in-1 rocker napper, which lays flat to be a bed, but can also sit up as a chair
Rocker/bouncer - once they get to around 8 weeks, they start to let you put them down... and it's nice to have somewhere to put them
Play gym - same as above
I don't think they interact with many other toys under 12 weeks - the world is enough for them.
Nappy cream - there are two types - most are barrier creams and are good at preventing nappy rash, but really, you don't need to put that on if baby's bum is fine. Then yellow metanium is the only thing I've found that clears up nappy rash.
Snot sucker - disgusting, but so good for clearing the snot. (And strangely satisfying ;-) )

I didn't buy any outfits in 0-3, mine just lived in sleepsuits as they look cute and are a lot less faff. Socks on small babies is the bane of your life!!

Ohhhhh guys these are amazing

And love the honesty about what's needed and not always needed right away

Thank you xxxx

Guys what about reusable baby wipes to stop me purchasing loads and loads of them !!! And save environment

@Queenie6655 I’ve bought cheeky wipes this time to stop using disposable wipes.
I’ve struggled a bit as they’ve given my little girl nappy rash. I followed the instructions soaking them in water with the oils they gave. When I asked on a Facebook group, everyone said to drop the oils and only lightly wet the wipe or pat her dry after, which has worked really well.
The cheeky wipe set up is really easy to wash and deal with - I love it, now I’ve got past the rashes!

my major essential was swaddling - the miracle swaddle blanket on amazon is great. without swaddling, neither of mine would sleep and without sleep, I don't function.

also a sling. one like this is great for a newborn so you can carry baby while you move about the house / do stuff. especially if you have a baby who doesn't like being put down.
www.johnlewis.com/ergobaby-aura-baby-carrier-wrap/p4845060

My gosh these are fab

Th ask again

Buy a swaddle bag! Sleeping bags are great after 3 months but a swaddle bag will stop their arms flailing before then and a bag means you dont have to worry if you have an escape artist (DD could not be contained by a normal swaddle!). Tommee Tippee do a grobag one which suited us when tiny and then we moved onto a lovetodream arms up swaddle.

Also download a white noise app for your phone. Lifesaver!

Agree with pp - if breastfeeding, dont buy a breast pump before the baby arrives. We struggled as DD was poorly and my supply didnt recover from the stress. I ended up hiring a hospital grade pump to increase my supply and the home pump i bought has never been used. The hospital pumps are £47 a month to hire and come in 2 days so even 1 month gives you time to get sorted.

If you live in a house, consider something for the baby to sleep in downstairs. We bought a basic moses basket but some prams are also suitable. You dont want to be lugging a next2me up and down stairs every day.

Thermometer for room / bath (you can get ones that do both) and thermometer for baby. Since having DD, ive realised my sense of temperature is totally off reality!

@Queenie6655 We used reusable wipes and cloth nappies straight from birth; he's 2 now, we've saved so much money and waste!

[quote Laureatus]@Queenie6655 We used reusable wipes and cloth nappies straight from birth; he's 2 now, we've saved so much money and waste![/quote]
So good to hear this

Any nappie tips ?

I really recommend sleeping bags. I’ve used them with all my babies. Even though I’m not an anxious mother, one thing that did worry me was the risk of suffocation from blankets at night. They are so much more convenient too because you can do a night feed with them in their sleeping bag and once they’re finished, you can put them straight down for sleep with no blanket faff!

@Queenie6655 I'd say complete the nappy questionnaire in The Nappy Lady Website (they have a great supportive Facebook group too). Newborns grow out of newborn size cloth nappies really quickly so a lot of people wait until they more a bit bigger to go into 'Birth To Potty' nappies that will last from maybe 8 weeks old to 2 years old. We used cloth from birth (I had a mix of brand new and second hand newborn nappies, but you can hire a newborn kit from various places including The Nappy Lady), along with cloth wipes, absolutely love them. Cloth nappies look expensive, but as you only buy them once, they actually work out cheaper than disposables over time (esp if you buy preloved ones and/or use them for more than one child).

Great ideas

Thank you both xxxx